Manhunter: San Francisco Playthrough.

[Tawmis]

As for that sequence, my trick was to close all of the gates, move all the slaves to the room marked SLAVERY and the robots to the section nearest the lava. Then open the gates one at a time.

That's how the official MH2 handbook does it too, which is how I ended up doing it. Close all the doors, then open three specific doors after everyone is moved to the right rooms.

What kept confusing me is I moved the robots to the bottom - closed the doors that led out from there - opened the door to the right - so lava flooded them - and it shows lava flooding them. So I thought the robots were done - but I tried to move the slaves to me after that and robots attacked me - and I thought, "How?"

[notbobsmith]

What kept confusing me is I moved the robots to the bottom - closed the doors that led out from there - opened the door to the right - so lava flooded them - and it shows lava flooding them. So I thought the robots were done - but I tried to move the slaves to me after that and robots attacked me - and I thought, "How?"

Yes, the robots will still attack (from the surface I think) if you move the slaves to you before everything is destroyed.

[Tawmis]

What kept confusing me is I moved the robots to the bottom - closed the doors that led out from there - opened the door to the right - so lava flooded them - and it shows lava flooding them. So I thought the robots were done - but I tried to move the slaves to me after that and robots attacked me - and I thought, "How?"

Yes, the robots will still attack (from the surface I think) if you move the slaves to you before everything is destroyed.

Would explain, I guess why they slide down the tube....

[Tawmis]

Non Commentary version... Almost 4 hours long, so hang out for the commentary version for the shorter version which I should have in a few days!

[notbobsmith]

Another thing that I never really understood about Manhunter 2. Why introduce the "second species" of Orbs? The ones in New York were floating eyeballs. The ones in San Fransisco are floating... faces for lack of a better description. The Wax Museum has the video which mentions "Two Worlds unite" and has displays which show both types. It just seems like an odd thing to introduce that isn't really necessary. On top of it, Evryware could have reused the art assets from MH1 if they kept the Orbs the same.

I did catch a bit of the early part of your video. Some of your save games:

!!
Arcade Sequences are stupid.
Stupid
.....
Such crap
Easy Arcade Option at least

[Tawmis]

Another thing that I never really understood about Manhunter 2. Why introduce the "second species" of Orbs? The ones in New York were floating eyeballs. The ones in San Fransisco are floating... faces for lack of a better description. The Wax Museum has the video which mentions "Two Worlds unite" and has displays which show both types. It just seems like an odd thing to introduce that isn't really necessary. On top of it, Evryware could have reused the art assets from MH1 if they kept the Orbs the same.
I did catch a bit of the early part of your video. Some of your save games:
!!
Arcade Sequences are stupid.
Stupid
.....
Such crap
Easy Arcade Option at least

Yeah. My frustration over MH2 and the arcade sequences was very clear from the get-go.

And I personally found the original Orbs to be much more creepy. The Orbs from MH2 look more... comical, to me.
So I wish they'd kept the original Orbs also. A floating eye seems more ... fitting... than a floating ... sphere with a face.
So, yes - disliked the new "Orbs" - and why they're on the West Coast, and not seen anywhere in the first.
So I wonder what decision was made to make them the new ones.

[Tawmis]

Manhunter 2 Commentary version....

[notbobsmith]

Just finished your commentary playthrough:

13:26 The arcade sequence in the Transamerica Pyramid is odd. I did it the same as you. Once you get going, you just mash one key until you make it all the way around. It's usually pretty easy. You didn't get it, but also in the building is an empty laser rifle. It doesn't do anything or get used anywhere. After you take it, the alarm sounds and you run out, but you can still go back in to rescue the slave. The building only locks after you rescue the slave. My suspicion is that you are meant to be given a choice between the two, but if you take the rifle, it would dead-end the game.

13:50 So the MAD has the target vanish after going to one of the chairs in the temple. And the 4 ninjas(?) appear out of nowhere on those chairs. Is matter transport a thing? Also, the giant statue just floats. Anti-gravity?

24:20 According to Washington State corporation filings, Evryware is based in Olympia, WA. I'm sure the PO Box was correct at the time. It also appears that the Murray's still maintain Evryware, Inc. as a business entity.

26:18 I've actually never gone back to the temple after finishing there. I didn't know the door locks.

28:00 The mallet has an image of a fish on it. That's the clue to use it on the fisherman statue.

30:38 I think I must have gotten a spoiler on needing the walking stick to get the ring, because I don't remember having to go through the maze only to be unable to get the ring. That is very frustrating.

34:50 I do the same thing with using my finger to track the Ace.

36:35 I pretty sure the "S" just means "Slave".

39:29 Yeah, the trip up the hill takes way too long.

41:00 I don't think the missing ring is a bug. You have the Orb-on-a-Stick, so you already finished that part. It looks like you restored to a point after you get it, probably at the Hyde Street Pier. At this point you still have a chance to collect anything you might be missing before you go to Alcatraz where you are pretty much "locked in" with everything.

43:00 I'm surprised you figured out where to land on your first try. The balloon will actually land anywhere. If you do, you can continue, but the game is at a dead-end. There are clues that the castle is where you need to go, but it's not readily obvious from the silhouette of the skyline.

[Tawmis]

Just finished your commentary playthrough:

Thank you for giving it a watch!

13:26 The arcade sequence in the Transamerica Pyramid is odd. I did it the same as you. Once you get going, you just mash one key until you make it all the way around. It's usually pretty easy. You didn't get it, but also in the building is an empty laser rifle. It doesn't do anything or get used anywhere. After you take it, the alarm sounds and you run out, but you can still go back in to rescue the slave. The building only locks after you rescue the slave. My suspicion is that you are meant to be given a choice between the two, but if you take the rifle, it would dead-end the game.

I didn't even see a gun? I just saw the guy - and at first thought, he and I just had to swap (so I go to the "12 O'Clock" position and he comes down to the 6 O'Clock position to escape; and I'd need to do something inside) - which is why the first time I make it up there I stopped - and got zapped back. So then I just did the full rotation. Wasn't even looking at anything else, other than trying to get my guy to complete the circle. Didn't realize anything was clickable to get.

13:50 So the MAD has the target vanish after going to one of the chairs in the temple. And the 4 ninjas(?) appear out of nowhere on those chairs. Is matter transport a thing? Also, the giant statue just floats. Anti-gravity?

That's why I thought I was missing something - like someway to get a secret passage there.

24:20 According to Washington State corporation filings, Evryware is based in Olympia, WA. I'm sure the PO Box was correct at the time. It also appears that the Murray's still maintain Evryware, Inc. as a business entity.

Yeah they still have the website too, but looks super out dated.

28:00 The mallet has an image of a fish on it. That's the clue to use it on the fisherman statue.

Does it? I hadn't noticed!

34:50 I do the same thing with using my finger to track the Ace.

I tried just watching for a few times; but finally just put my finger on the screen.

36:35 I pretty sure the "S" just means "Slave".

I was thinking that - and now reading your comment - it makes sense.... Because the end screen the "slaves" are designated as the blue icons (even though the robots are blue too) and the dead slave is a blue corpse (which clearly isn't frozen or anything). So, it'd be cool if we knew why they were blue. There's dialogue about the extreme temperatures and such from the digging, needing more durable, but nothing about the gases or something, turning their skin blue. Might have been a cool thing to add.

39:29 Yeah, the trip up the hill takes way too long.

That was a terrible design.

43:00 I'm surprised you figured out where to land on your first try. The balloon will actually land anywhere. If you do, you can continue, but the game is at a dead-end. There are clues that the castle is where you need to go, but it's not readily obvious from the silhouette of the skyline.

The castle top silhouette was WHY I did it - actually looked like the most obvious landing spot. Looks like the Castle piece from a Chess set - so it seemed like a big opening.
And there's the other clue you find earlier - "R3, L4, L2" or whatever... and says "castle gateway hell" or something along those lines from the statue heads (3rd one o the Right, 4th one on the left, 2nd one on the left; making up the order, because I don't recall the actual order on that green note).
And the game references "Hell" several times through notes found on corpses.

[notbobsmith]

13:26 The arcade sequence in the Transamerica Pyramid is odd. I did it the same as you. Once you get going, you just mash one key until you make it all the way around. It's usually pretty easy. You didn't get it, but also in the building is an empty laser rifle. It doesn't do anything or get used anywhere. After you take it, the alarm sounds and you run out, but you can still go back in to rescue the slave. The building only locks after you rescue the slave. My suspicion is that you are meant to be given a choice between the two, but if you take the rifle, it would dead-end the game.

I didn't even see a gun? I just saw the guy - and at first thought, he and I just had to swap (so I go to the "12 O'Clock" position and he comes down to the 6 O'Clock position to escape; and I'd need to do something inside) - which is why the first time I make it up there I stopped - and got zapped back. So then I just did the full rotation. Wasn't even looking at anything else, other than trying to get my guy to complete the circle. Didn't realize anything was clickable to get.

It's on the right at 13:09. You can zoom in on the display case.

28:00 The mallet has an image of a fish on it. That's the clue to use it on the fisherman statue.

Does it? I hadn't noticed!

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36:35 I pretty sure the "S" just means "Slave".

I was thinking that - and now reading your comment - it makes sense.... Because the end screen the "slaves" are designated as the blue icons (even though the robots are blue too) and the dead slave is a blue corpse (which clearly isn't frozen or anything). So, it'd be cool if we knew why they were blue. There's dialogue about the extreme temperatures and such from the digging, needing more durable, but nothing about the gases or something, turning their skin blue. Might have been a cool thing to add.

I always just assumed they just used blue to show he was dead. Then again, none of the other corpses we see are blue. And no explanation is give for Louis Redman's (the bouncer from MH1) appearance. He was very blue.

[Tawmis]

mh2_047-800x600.png

Oh, dang!